HIST313: War and American Society

Unit 1: War and the Founding of the United StatesEuropean military conflicts throughout the 18th century
contributed to the formation of the United States in the 1780s.
British, French, and Spanish forces fought incessantly throughout this
period and American colonists were often caught in the middle of these
global conflicts. Great Britain’s costly victory in the French and
Indian War in 1763 led to higher taxes on American colonists, which
generated social and political turmoil throughout the colonies. A
decade later, frustrated American colonists challenged British political
rule directly and eventually secured independence from the mother
country after a lengthy military struggle. In this unit, we will
examine how the French and Indian War and the American Revolution forged
unique social and political values in the early United States. We will
also look at how these conflicts shaped American cultural identities and
redefined the relationship between civilian and military leaders in the
New Republic.

Unit 1 Time Advisory
This unit should take you approximately 16 hours to complete.

☐ Introduction: 1 hour

☐ Subunit 1.1: ½ hour

☐ Subunit 1.2: ½ hour

☐ Subunit 1.3: 12 hours

☐ Subunit 1.4: 2 hours

Unit1 Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, the student will be able to:

Identify
how colonial military conflicts shaped the formation of the United
States in the 18th century.

Instructions: Please read the entirety of the webpage to better
understand the causes, conduct, and consequences of the French and
Indian War in British North America. This reading addresses
subunits 1.1 through 1.2.5.

Instructions: Please watch the entire 35-minute debate to better
understand the importance of the Seven Years War. This lecture
addresses subunits 1.2 through 1.2.5.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

1.2.1 Global War1.2.2 North America Impact1.2.3 American Participation1.2.4 Expansion of British Imperial Influence in North American
Colonies1.2.5 Consequences for American Colonists1.3 The American Revolution, 1776-1783
- Reading: Wikibooks: U.S. History: “American Revolution”
Link: Wikibooks: U.S. History: “American
Revolution”
(PDF)

Instructions: Please note that this reading addresses subunits 1.3
through 1.3.9. Please read the entirety of the webpage to better
understand the causes, conduct, and consequences of the American War
for Independence.

Instructions: Please note that this lecture addresses subunits 1.3
through 1.3.9. Please note that you must disable pop-up blockers
before attempting to view the video. Scroll down the webpage until
you reach lecture 37 titled “The American Revolution.” Click on the
“VoD” icon to launch the video lecture. Please view Professor Eugen
Weber’s entire 28-minute lecture to get a sense of how the British
created a society that “…tested Enlightenment ideas and resisted
restrictions imposed by England.”

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Web Media: Google Videos and vodpod's: PBS’s Liberty! The American
Revolution: “The Reluctant Revolutionaries,” “Blows Must Decide,”
“The Times that Try Men’s Souls,” “Oh, Fatal Ambition,” “The World
Turned Upside Down,” Are We To Be A Nation?”
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion
of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to
fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please
submit it here.

Instructions: This lecture addresses subunits 1.3 through 1.3.9.
Scroll down the webpage and click on the “View in iTunes” hyperlink
for audio lecture 15 titled “The Crisis of Independence.” Please
listen to Professor Jack Rakove’s entire 50-minute lecture to better
appreciate the symbiotic relationship of economic and political
development in the northern colonies/states of British North
America.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: This reading addresses subunits 1.1 through 1.4.5.
Please watch the entire 2 ½ hour debate to better understand George
Washington as a military commander and president. In this video,
speakers James Rees, the Executive Director of the Mount Vernon
Estate and Garden, and Richard Smith, the Director of the Gerald
Ford Presidential Library and Museum, provide a profile on the life
and career of George Washington.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: Please read Thomas Paine’s “The Crisis No. 1” in its
entirety. In this political pamphlet, English-born American patriot
Thomas Paine argues that American colonists must overcome their fear
of British military strength and unite to defeat the British. He
further asserts that no one can remain neutral in the conflict and
Loyalists will be severely punished if they support British military
efforts to destroy the colonial rebels.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: This lecture addresses subunits 1.3 through 1.3.5.
Scroll down the webpage until you reach lecture 14 titled “The View
from London.” Then, click on the “View in iTunes” hyperlink to open
up the podcast. Please listen to Professor Jack Rakove’s entire
50-minute lecture to get a sense of Britain’s understanding of the
events that were taking place in North America.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

1.3.4 Forging American Identities and Ideals—Remaking Colonial
Society1.3.5 Emergence of the United States1.3.6 The Limits of Rebellion1.3.7 Solidifying the Gains of the Revolution1.3.8 Race, War, and Social Values1.3.9 Professional Versus Amateur Military Forces1.4 Rebellions in the Early Republic1.4.1 Shays' Rebellion
- Reading: Wikipedia: “Shays’ Rebellion”
Link: Wikipedia: “Shays’
Rebellion”
(PDF)

Instructions: Please read the entirety of the website in order to
get a sense of the causes and course of Shays’ Rebellion.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a [Creative
Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License
3.0](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) (HTML). You
can find the original Wikipedia version of this article
[here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shays%27_Rebellion) (HTML).